Shakib, Liton have 'no option' to join IPL from start

It appears that Bangladesh Test and T20I skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das will not be allowed to skip the upcoming Ireland Test from April 04, as far as Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan Papon is concerned, after the two star cricketers applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the BCB in order to be present from the beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL), slated to begin on March 31.  

"You see, I have been asked about this issue over and over again, and I've given a single answer. Before they were called in the IPL auction, they [IPL officials] asked us about the [players'] availability and we gave them [the schedule]. And knowing this, they proceeded with the auction," said the BCB boss after the Tigers handed Ireland a 10-wicket defeat in Sylhet on Thursday to win the three-match ODI series 2-0.  

"I don't see any option for them [Shakib, Liton] to be unavailable [during the Bangladesh game]. It's not like we had told them that we might think about it [granting clearance], then there would've been some doubt. We have made it clear.

"I don't see any chance of a change of heart, to be honest," reiterated the BCB boss, adding that he would let the media know if the decision from the board does not stand.